Construction Updates

Please visit the Summit Connects Construction page for the latest updates. 

What is Summit Connects?

Summit Connects will link all 31 communities in Summit County to a public safety fiber network to enhance the quality and security of public safety operations and other critical local government services.

The County has provided a grant to the Development Finance Authority (DFA) for this project. The DFA is now leading the construction and installation of the 130-mile fiber ring and will own it once complete.

All costs are covered by Summit County. The County and Fairlawn will be responsible for operating, maintaining and repairing the fiber ring.

At this time, Summit Connects will not provide service to residential or business properties.

Digital Inclusion

Summit County is taking a major step toward digital equity and inclusion with the creation of a Summit County Digital Equity Framework. We have partnered with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) to create an Equity Strategy. This work will be led by Steering Committee made up of community members and stakeholders. 

To launch this work, we held a webinar to introduce the tenets of digital inclusion and equity, and to discuss how we can effectively close the digital divide in our community. As we make a landmark investment in Summit Connects, we want engagement from all 31 communities to ensure that our residents, especially disadvantaged residents, are included in an increasingly digital world.

Watch webinar recording

To learn more about NDIA, visit https://www.digitalinclusion.org/.